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The Korean New Wave refers to the late '90s surge of popularity of South Korean popular culture in other countries, especially in Asian countries. With the export of Korean TV dramas such as Jewel in the Palace across East and Southeast Asia, the success of Korean dramas was shortly matched in the field of movies; South Korea is now the 9th largest film market in the world. Korean films account for roughly 70 per cent of the market share in South Korea, the highest domestic market share of any country in the world outside the U.S., and directors such as Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) and Kim Ki-duk (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) now enjoy international critical success.

3 Extremes (2004)

This anthology of horror stories unites three of East Asia's most compelling directors: Miike Takashi's Box, Fruit Chan's Dumplings, and South Korean director Park Chan-Wook's Cut. In Cut, a film director finds himself held captive by a disgruntled extra; to survive he must prove that he is capable of evil. Cast: Byung-hun Lee, Won-hie Lim, Hye-jeong Kang. In Korean with English subtitles.

This anthology series includes South Korean director Kim Jee-Woon’s short film Memories (2002, 40 minutes), in which a woman wakes up on a street without memory and a husband cannot remember why his wife left him; meanwhile, the woman wanders the streets trying to contact the only phone number she has on her and the husband sees her ghost in his apartment and discovers her mutilated body in a large bag in his home. Cast: Kim Hye-Soo, Chung Bo-Seog, Suwinit Panjamawat, Komgich Yuttiyong, Leon Lai. In Korean with English subtitles.

When a mysterious drifter breaks into a mansion, he discovers a lonely, beautiful woman trapped in an abusive marriage. When she escapes on the back of his motorcycle, their romantic adventures are just beginning. Cast: Lee Seung-yeon, Jae Hee. In Korean with English subtitles.

During the Vietnam War, a South Korean army base begins receiving mysterious radio transmissions from a patrol that went missing six months earlier. A shell-shocked commanding officer (Woo-Sung Kam) and a ragtag military unit are sent into the desolate stretch of land know as R-Point to gather clues as the the whereabouts of the missing soldiers. What appeared to be a clear search and rescue mission turns into something far more terrifying than any battle. Cast: Han Suk-kyu, Baek Yun-shik, Jeong Won-jung, Song Jae-ho, Kim Eung-soo, Kwun Byung-gil. In Korean with English subtitles.

A chronicle of the life of a Buddhist monk from childhood to the end of his days. Cast: Yeong-su Oh, Ki-duk Kim, Young-min Kim, Jae-kyeong Seo, Yeo-jin Ha, Jong-ho Kim, Jung-young Kim, Dae-hin Ji, Min Choi, Ji-a Pak, Min-Young Song. In Korean with English subtitles.

On an American military base in South Korea, an American doctor forces his assistant to dump bottle after bottle of formaldehyde into the Han River, the major river running through the middle of Seoul. Six years later, a mutant monster emerges from the river and attacks people lounging at its banks. Food cart operator Gang-du's daughter, Hyun-Seo, returns from school. Then a monster appears in the river and starts to attack the people lounging at its banks. Gang-du and Hyun-Seo are chased by the beast. Hie-bong tries valiantly to save his daughter, but the beast soon captures her and drags her away. They receive a call from the daughter's cell phone and try to rescue her from the large monster. Cast: Kang-ho Song, Hie-bong Byeon, Hae-il Park, Du-na Bae, Ah-sung Ko, Scott Wilson.

To save her relationship, a woman puts herself through extensive plastic surgery. After two years together, Seh-hee thinks Ji-woo no longer finds her attractive and disappears. Reappearing six months later with a new name and a surgically altered face, she woos her lover again. Now, she has to compete against the memory of her old self. When she confesses her deception, their rediscovered romance is forced to walk a tightrope of tragedy. Cast: Sung Hyan-ah, Ha Jung-woo. In Korean with English subtitles.

Set in 19th century Korea, this version also tells the tale of treachery, lust and sacrifice. Elegant, courtly and sexually voracious young Lord Jo-won's public life of idle nobility masks a not-so-private life of unending sexual conquest. Challenged by his equally debauched cousin Lady Cho to seduce a teenaged virgin threatens Cho's household kingdom. Jo-won accepts on condition that Cho surrender herself to him if he succeeds. But the real target of Jo-won's ardor becomes Lady Sook, a stunningly attractive, pious widow. Cast: Bae Yong-Jun, Lee Mi-Sook, Jeon Do-Yeon, Cho Hyeon-Jae, Lee Soh-Yeon, Kim Ha-Kyeong. In Korean with English subtitles.